At a press conference in Washington, D.C. Wednesday morning, Anacortes was announced as one of more than 50 communities that have signed letters of intent to compete for the Prize.
With today’s press conference, the Georgetown University Energy Prize’s Application Phase is now official for the nearly 9,000 eligible U.S. communities with a population between 5,000 and 250,000 population. During this Application Phase, the city will submit an application to be considered for advancement to the Quarterfinalist Phase.
“The Anacortes community understands the strong link between energy conservation and sustainability in protecting our beautiful island for generations to come,” said Mayor Gere.
The city says it has been active in reducing energy usage in its facilities for some time now. A task force made up of community members has been assembled to develop short and long term goals to reduce energy consumption. If selected as a Quarterfinalist, the City will work closely with Puget Sound Energy, Cascade Natural Gas, and local energy efficiency experts to develop an energy-saving plan.
Other Washington state communities competing are: Bellingham, San Juan County, Bellevue, and Walla Walla.
Once Quarterfinalist plans have been submitted, they will be evaluated and considered for potential advancement to the Semifinals and Finals. The Prize will conclude in 2017, when one winning community is awarded a $5-million prize purse for use on energy efficiency programs that help ensure the continued implementation of its long-term energy-saving plan.
“Many homes, schools, businesses, governments, and individuals have already begun to do their part in reducing energy consumption—but it’s not enough,” said Dr. Francis Slakey, Executive Director of the Georgetown University Energy Prize. “In order to fully realize the benefits of energy efficiency initiatives, we must commit to addressing our national energy problem together, one community at a time.”
Living in an energy efficient community has a lot of rewards: those who make upgrades to their houses will have lower costs and more comfortable homes. When the City cuts its energy bills, the savings will be available for other community priorities; along the way we'll be protecting the air and environment that we all share. And then there is the $5 million prize that will benefit the whole community if we win!
To learn more about the Georgetown University Energy Prize and to track the competition’s progress, visit www.guep.org, or follow the Prize on Twitter (@GUEnergyPrize) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/guenergyprize).
For more information about Anacortes efforts and ways you can get involved, contact Russ Pittis at 360.299.1964.